Cormac Madigan Prof. Jeffries PHL 120 02/13/23 Courthouse Conversation This paper will address the Courthouse Conversation between Euthyphro and Socrates. The objective of this talk was to determine the definition of piety so that Socrates could utilize it as a defense in his trial that was to follow. Euthyphro gave statements about the nature of piety, all of which Socrates rejected on one ground or another.
Hailey Argueta 02 / 08 / 2018 PHIL 103 Q Deal Exegesis Paper When we talk about Socrates in Euthyphro he gives an initial argument against Euthyphro’s third definition of piety which is “what’s loved by the gods is pious, and what’s not loved by the gods is impious” (7a). Socrates believes it’s a bit skeptical that Euthyphro doesn’t know how to define piety. Euthyphro is waiting outside Athenian court waiting to charge his father with murder, while Socrates is waiting as well outside the Athenian court because he is being charge with impiety. They both start off a discussion of piety.
He does as such for a few reasons. In any case, he doesn't trust that one's obligation toward a perfect being ought to be viewed as something that is partitioned and particular from his obligation toward his kindred men. In actuality, he holds that the main genuine method for rendering administration to God comprises in doing what one can to advance the good and otherworldly improvement of people. Second, Socrates respects the reason and capacity of religion as something that is unique in relation to the view communicated by Euthyphro. Rather than religion being utilized as a sort of hardware or gadget for getting what one needs, as was valid for Euthyphro's situation, Socrates trusts the basic role of genuine religion is to carry one's own life into amicability with the will of God.
HUM2225 Dr. Hotchkiss September 30, 2016 Moral Insight Plato’s Euthyphro is based on a lesson between Socrates and Euthyphro outside of the Athenian court about the definition of pious or impious. Euthyphro was surprised to see Socrates there and even more curious to find out why he was there. Socrates explained that the court was persecuting him for impiety because Meletus was spreading rumors about him corrupting the Athenian youth. Euthyphro explains to Socrates that he was there to prosecute his father for murdering a farm worker named Dionysus.
In his powerful dialogue “Euthyphro”, Plato utilizes a simple conversation between Socrates and Euthyphro pertaining to the definition of piety to argue that Euthyphro is not the expert in religion that he appears to be. Euthyphro defines holiness in ways such as indicting religious criminals, as something being supported by all the gods, as a form of fairness, and as an exchange between a person and a god. Euthyphro states that holiness is indicting religious criminals, although Socrates finds this response disagreeable because of the fact that there are countless acts that can be considered holy. Euthyphro then goes on to declare that holiness is simply something that is approved of by all the gods, although Socrates questions this statement
The discourse between Socrates and Euthyphro clearly depicts a dilemma when it comes to the question on holiness, moral goodness and the will of God. While Euthyphro is of the opinion that what is dear to the gods is holy, and what is not dear to them is unholy, (Indiana University 6) Socrates seems to be of a different opinion. This discourse occurs at a time when there is a belief in many gods in Greece, each god having different duties. The gods are also known to disagree on a number of issues. Socrates, in trying to counter Euthyphro’s idea he opines that since the gods disagree, they must have different concepts of what is ethical and what is not.
Euthyphro finds this to be correct because of the wrong and/or criminal act that is present in the set conflict involving his father with the other worker when he tied him up and left him to die; he thinks this was an unholy act and with this act in should be punished through consequence. Socrates disregarded this definition for he didn’t ask Euthyphro to give him ‘one or two pieties but the form itself that makes all pious actions pious and all Impious are impious threw one form.” (pg.4) with this quote Socrates is saying that Euthyphro said that what he is doing is of piety and that all those involved would also be termed
Euthyphro tries to explain him that he was doing the same as Zeus did to his father and therefore being pious. But Socrates argues that it is just an example and not an explanation. He tries again and says what gods like is pious and what they dislike is not. But Socrates points out the fallacy in that argument that one god might not agree with another to which he replies in his third attempt what all gods like is pious and what they all hate is impious. Here, in this example we can see that how he searches for a concrete and complete definition for being pious.
Piety, Ethical Objectivity, and The Gods in Plato’s Euthyphro Plato’s Euthyphro presents an unorthodox argument for the nature of ethical objectivity, where Socrates queries Euthyphro on whether the pious is god-loved because it is pious, or because it is god-loved (Plato Euthyphro 10a1-2). This argument is referred to as the “Euthyphro Dilemma,” and has beckoned many philosophers to consider the nature of ethical objectivity in relation to (the) god(s), and as a whole. This paper will argue that while Socrates’ argument directly relies on the gods in the Euthyphro due to the semantic nature of the term “piety,” the crux of the argument can hold true and be applied to addressing ethical objectivity through what Kenneth Walden classifies
The Euthyphro Problem The Euthyphro Problem is named after a particular conversation between Socrates and Euthyphro in Plato’s dialogue “Euthyphro.” This dialogue focuses on the argument between Socrates and Euthyphro about the meaning of piety held outside the court of Athens. Euthyphro was about to prosecute his own father for murdering a slave that was himself a murderer. When Socrates questioned him about whether his actions are right, Euthyphro brings the word piety into the conversation.
The second, Socrates asks Euthyphro, have you known what a piety is if your attitude is confident that you indict your father for a crime. (Plato (1997), p.77.). Socrates tries to look for one standard definition of piety. Let, have a look at what piety means to Euthyphro. He comes up with the several suggestions about piety: “to prosecute a wrongdoer is pious and not to prosecute is impious”; “what all the gods hate is impious, and what they all love is pious”; “where there is piety there is also justice” (Plato (1997), p.88.).
In this second quote, Socrates is saying that he possesses a certain wisdom given to him by the god to spread his philosophy and belief in the city of Athens. Here is a third piece of evidence to support my point from “ The Apology”. “Afterwards I went to talk to one person after another, sensing how odious I had become to them. I was sad and fearful; but I felt it was necessary to make the god’s work my highest priority.” (Lines 56-58)
Euthyphro is in the process of prosecuting his father for the murder of a man that killed another in a drunken state. While he waits he come across Socrates. Socrates goes on to ask what he was doing prosecuting his own father. The response that Euthyphro give is because it is the pious thing to do, although it against his own father. Socrates then asks Euthyphro to teach him “What is piety”?
Socrates’s official new charge “asserts that Socrates does injustice by corrupting the young, and by not believing in the gods in whom the city believes, but in other daimonia that are novel” (24b, p. 73). By looking deeper into the dialogue of The Apology and Euthyphro, one can see how passionately Socrates strives to express to the Athenian people his innocence in teaching the youth and worshiping of the gods. Socrates maintains his innocence in teaching the youth for three reasons. Primarily, there is no proof or evidence from past examples in which Socrates has taught the youth because no one has come out and said so. Socrates brings up a valid point that his so-called ‘teachings’ haven’t changed over time and therefore if he is accused
Euthyphro’s Dilemma is when Socrates asks Euthyphro, “Does God love goodness because it is good, or is it good because God loves it?” Euthyphro’s Dilemma is that God determines what is good and evil, right and wrong. This dilemma challenges the Divine Command theory because according to Euthyphro’s Dilemma we would be obligated to do something wrong because God commanded it. This conflicts with the Divine Command theory because it would imply that cruelty could be morally right if God told us to do so. The idea that cruelty can be morally right goes up against the belief in the Divine Command Theory because it proposes that an action's status that is morally good is equivalent to whether it is commanded by God
